Vending machine in which an article passage has an effective width automatically adjusted in accordance with an article size

摘要

In a vending machine having an article passage which is defined by a pair of side plates (3b) and extends in a vertical direction, a spacing member having a first and a second spacer (10, 20) is movably attached to one of the side plates to restrict an effective width of a lower portion of the article passage in a horizontal direction. Cooperated with the spacing member, an article discharge device having a delivery piece (6) discharges a lowermost one of the articles from the lower portion of the article passage. An automatically adjusting arrangement is coupled to the spacing member and makes the spacing member be automatically displaced in accordance with article sizes (R1, R2, R3) of the articles (A, B, C) to adjust the effective width.